1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to package making and more particularly to an apparatus for forming groups of contents of a package unit prior to a further package forming operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention has particular utility in the field of packaging cigarettes.
Cigarettes have, historically, been manufactured having a certain circumference and packaged in groups of twenty cigarettes. Recently, cigarettes have been developed having satisfactory smoking characteristics which have a substantially smaller circumference than the heretofore known cigarettes. These new "thinner" cigarettes are also packaged in groups of twenty to a package because twenty cigarette packages are popular with the purchasing public.
Further, by way of background, cigarette packages are typically made to a standard size, particularly in thickness, basically for two reasons. First, the end of the cigarette package must be large enough so that a tax stamp can be placed on the package end, and second, cigarette package dispensing machines are made to dispose cigarette packages of one standard size.
The new "thinner" cigarette, when packaged in groups of twenty in a conventionally sized package, leave space within the package. In order to prevent the "thinner" cigarettes from moving within the package, flat spacers are included in the package to occupy the left-over space therein.
It is a problem in a high volume packaging operation to insert these package spacers in a proper location within the package without slowing up the packaging operation.